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("Sandbox" Continued from page 1)
 

doing great for a first timer.  Flash made a few suggestions and we were going faster and faster.  Charlie had trouble with T11 each time through.  Flash says "We will fix your T11 line on the next lap." 
Flash can't quite remember exactly what happened (must be CRS) but Flash gave him some bad advise.  The result was "Cruisin' the Sandbox, Release #3."  For those of us who play in the sand often, it was not a big deal.  Charlie did exactly the right thing.  But I am certain that the only phrase inside his helmet was "Mrs. Charlie is going to cut my balls off for f---ing (fouling) up her car.  It didn't even get dirty.
Flash's sand trap record is now 3 for 3 and we hadn't even had lunch yet.
One of the cars I asked to go for a ride in was the 340R.  If you don't know what a 340R is, visualize two 500cc Aprilia grand prix motorcycles bolted together side by side.  Leave enough space between them so that 2 people can sit down between the 2 bikes.  Change out the handlebars for a steering wheel and you have a 340R.  A few timely tips form Flash and the driver was going measurably faster. 
Another car I asked to ride in was the pink Lotus X model.  We went out in mid-session so I only got a few laps.  The driver had only just taken delivery and this was his first track day with it.  Observation--in hard turns there was this scraping kind of noise.  "Oh, its only the tires rubbing on the body panels, it will be OK."  Yea, it will be OK when one of two things happens:
 

  • The tire blows
  • The fiberglass panel wears away and then cuts down the tire.
Didn't have any real time to help him go faster.  Maybe that was good.
One of my Lotus buddies says "Flash, how about riding with me and some go fast tips?"  Humm, older model.  Will the wheels stay on?  Do the brakes work?  This was my first time out in one of those visibility restricted models.  He was nice and smooth and had good lines.  Tips---on the gas sooner and on brakes later.
Later I took Charlie out for a ride in the Japanese Elan.  Afterwards I apologized for screwing him up in T11.  I 

(Continued on page 3)

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